Harry gathered himself enough to realize he wasn't going to get much else done in the garden before lunch so he hauled himself up and made himself an early lunch in a daze.
"Harry, is everything alright? You seem a bit out of sorts." Harry shook himself out of his stupor and smiled at him.
"I'm just happy I can write to Hermione again. I didn't realize how much I missed her point of view. You know she's worried about wrinkles? At her age? It's outrageous!" Harry finished eating and was rinsing off the plate he used when Severus's hands found their way to his chest. Smiling, Harry leaned back and tilted his head. "Hungry?"
"For you?" Severus's voice rumbled, making Harry tremble with desire. "Always." Lips kissed down his neck and over his shoulder before they traveled back up to just under his jaw. A light nip grazed his skin, drawing a faint hint of blood. Harry barely felt the fangs break his skin, but he did feel the rush of arousal as his blood was drawn out. His tongue dragged across his neck and Harry grabbed one of Severus's hands before placing it over the growing hardness in his pants.
"Sev, please. I need you." Severus chuckled and easily undid his pants before wrapping his fingers around his length. Harry keened.
"What is it you want, little one?" He gasped. "You look rather empty." A finger pushed his trousers down and trailed over his now-bare crack. A part of Harry's mind recognized that he was babbling, but he stopped caring when the finger entered him.
"Plea-Sev, more. Please, need you..." Before he knew it, Severus breached him. "F-fuck me Sev! Harder!" Severus growled and happily obliged until the two of them were spent.
"Better, little one?" Harry nodded, whimpering as Severus slipped from him.
When he opened his eyes again, he was draped over Severus's chest on the couch. He got up and went back to the garden since he never got the chance to finish weeding.
As he worked, he thought about what Hermione had said. Fertility potions could, apparently, get men pregnant. But he hadn't been taking any potions since Severus claimed him.
They certainly had enough sex, though. And if past experience was anything to go by, Harry tended to be the exception to the rule. Maybe it was time to figure out how owl orders worked...
"Severus?" The man in question looked up from his potions journal and opened his arms for Harry to join him. "I was wondering how owl orders work. I've heard about it but I've never done it." Strong arms wrapped around him and he melted in the embrace.
"All you have to do is send a letter to whatever store you'd like to order from and they'll send back a catalogue with prices. Then you just write down what you'd like and enclose the money for it. Usually if you know what you're looking for it takes about a day or so depending on how far you are from the store you're purchasing from. Was there anything you wanted in particular?"
"I was hoping to get some books. I'm starting to think that Hermione might lay into me if she finds out I'm not attempting to learn anything while we're sequestered away." Severus chuckled before summoning a scroll of parchment.
"Here you are, Harry. I've been asked to brew a batch of Skele-Gro for Hogwarts, if you need anything just let me know." Severus stood and made his way to the cellar to start brewing. Harry opened the scroll and skimmed down to the miscellaneous section. He placed an order for 'The Guide to Male Pregnancy' and 'Cooking Through the Ages'.
He was surprised when he woke up from his nap to see the books he ordered sitting on the coffee table. Grabbing the pregnancy book, Harry went out to the garden and hunkered down to read.
'Hermione,
'I looked into what you said in your last letter and did some research-yes I'm fully capable of researching things! I haven't taken a single potion since Severus claimed me, but I'm incredibly intrigued by the idea that men can carry children. I'll be sure to let you more once I have a better idea of what's going on with me.
'Be sure to look after the Weasley's for me!
'Harry'
Harry had managed to breeze through the first few chapters of the book and finally came across a pregnancy revealing charm. He quickly got out his wand, practiced the movement and pronunciation and then cast it upon himself. His eyes widened when the gold sparks the spell produced wrapped around his middle and glowed before settling into his midriff. He double checked the book and smiled before going back inside.
Severus had just walked up the stairs when he walked through the kitchen door. They smiled at each other before Severus went to take a shower and Harry fixed himself dinner. He wondered what Severus would say but decided to hold off on telling him, at least for tonight.
They went about their evening as usual and Harry fell asleep quickly. Severus smiled down at him and gently brushed his hair from his forehead before kissing him gently and settling down for the evening.
He couldn't figure it out, but he was surprisingly okay with the constant letters back and forth between Harry and his family and friends. He was so sure he'd be too possessive to allow such a thing this soon, but then again Harry was always doing the impossible.
It wasn't until just after Harry finished eating dinner the next day that Harry did anything out of the ordinary.
"S-Sev, wait." He pulled back, concern practically written across his face. "I've something to tell you." Harry smiled, putting him at ease. Harry wouldn't be smiling if it was anything bad. He was surprised when Harry took his hand and laid it over Harry's abdomen. He was too curious to question it.
"I'm pregnant." Severus's world started to tilt as he took in the information he was just given. The words bounced around in his mind, over and over again. He felt like his heart stuttered and then kicked into overdrive while his head swam. Harry couldn't be pregnant, could he? He hadn't taken any potions, Severus would have tasted it in his blood.
But he had called on the elements when Severus had claimed him. Could they really have blessed the two of them with a child? A resounding gut feeling told him that yes, they had been blessed with a child that night. He felt his lips break into a grin and couldn't be bothered to try to reign his expression in.
"Truly?" Harry nodded and Severus picked up the smaller man and kissed him soundly. Breathless, he placed Harry back on his own two feet before kissing the young man's forehead gently. "Thank you, my dear. This is truly the best gift you could have given me."
Harry looked up and he was caught in swirling green depths. He found love and happiness there, a warm and comfortable feeling settled over him.
"You aren't upset?" Harry was beaming, practically glowing with happiness, but a faint trace of worry laced his words.
"Never about this, my Harry," he held Harry's hands in his. "You have bestowed upon me the one thing I thought I'd never have. I must admit, I'm over the moon about it. You can't imagine how many times over the decades that I've imagined having a child of my own and having to break my own heart time and time again with the knowledge that it would never happen." He kissed Harry once more before falling to his knees and kissing Harry's midsection. "You're what...six weeks along now?"
"Roughly," Harry replied.
"You'll need to see a healer soon. And I should consult the Elders...I'm woefully uneducated about these situations regarding vampires and humans. And you should probably be introduced to the Elders as well..." Thoughts swirled around Severus's mind faster than he could comprehend.
"Sev?" He looked up, worried at the sudden concern he heard in Harry's voice. "Sev, calm down. Do you think you're able to handle anyone seeing me?" Surprisingly, the answer was without a doubt.
"Of course you'll have to see others. You need to see a healer and I have to introduce you to the Elders before you're allowed to see anyone else again. We have to have their blessing to reintroduce you into society after being all mine. And you'll need your friends and family to support you, of course. I'm sure Hermione would be nothing but helpful to have around with all the research that woman can do in short periods of time. Then there's the healers and-"
"Sev!" Harry rarely interrupted him, so he shut his mouth promptly. "Relax, alright? I'm perfectly fine, we've plenty of time!" Severus nodded and placed his cheek against Harry's stomach.
"I love you both, so very very much." He looked up, only to get caught in Harry's gaze once more.
"And we love you, so very very much."
Turns out, setting up a meeting with the Elders was incredibly fast and easy to do when one's Claimed was pregnant. Severus knew it was rare for vampires to claim humans-most human Chosen would prefer to be turned before the Claiming happened to avoid any complications-but apparently it was even rarer for vampires to father a child. The Elders were making a trip to them to prevent any outbursts of possessiveness Severus may have.
They arrived the next day.
"Severus, it's been too long!" He bowed to the portly vampire with sandy hair that led the group up the steps to their door.
"Elder Baxter, it hasn't been that long since I've seen you last. I see you've brought the entire group," Severus hadn't been expecting all eleven of them. He had thought only two or three would be intrigued enough to make the travels.
"Of course we did! You've got quite the amazing situation on your hands you know! It's been nigh on three-or is it four?-centuries since a human Claimed has fallen pregnant. Pray tell, which potion have you used to face him with child?"
"We didn't use a potion." The entire group gasped, clearly yearning to know more. "Won't you all come in? I'm afraid Harry's still napping, but he should be up soon. I'm sure I can answer a lot of your questions in the meantime." They all made their way to the living room where extra armchairs were conjured and sat upon. Severus explained Harry's fascination with the elements and how he had called upon them during the Claiming. He tried to remain clinical about it, but a rather muscley man from the back of the room whistled.
"My, my...you must really love him if you're allowing your emotions to show so clearly. And you're sure you're alright with others seeing him? You've had no issues imagining him out and with his family-his friends?"
Severus smiled at that. If he was going to go soft, it may as well be because Harry was carrying his child.
"I've imagined it and have had no issues. Of course, with his status in the Wizarding World, I am quite against him going out in public places such as Diagon Alley but I have no qualms against his family or friends seeing him. He'll need a support system and he'll want to share his pregnancy with them as well." They all looked impressed, and to be frank Severus was impressed with himself. He had truly thought that the idea of Harry going and seeing anyone this soon would turn his stomach but instead he felt a twinge of anticipation to see the looks on people's faces when they saw Harry swollen with child and hanging off his arm.
He heard the bathroom door to their master bedroom shut and stood.
"Gentlemen, I believe my Claimed has woken up from his nap. I'll be back with him shortly." The Elders talked amongst themselves as Severus turned to fetch Harry.
Harry found that even though he was incredibly nervous to meet several new vampires, he felt much calmer if he was touching Severus. If anyone had noticed that, they didn't mention it.
The two asked dozens of questions, most of which the Elders didn't have many answers for. But when Harry asked if they approved of Severus's choice with him, he was met with a resounding affirmative.
He had blushed and fought the urge to hide his face in Severus's chest.
"Well Severus, we are so happy to have seen you two doing so well. You've handled us being here beautifully! And Harry, you'll be plumper than a peach in short order with that lovely little life nestled away in you. I'm afraid we must return to our homes, though." Harry stopped them before they could go too far.
"Before you leave, would you like to hear me play?" He motioned to the upright piano in the corner of the room.
"We'd love to!" Harry practically beamed and sat down on the bench.
"Sev?" He patted the spot next to him and Severus sat down. "Play with me," he whispered. He waited for Harry to start playing at the higher end and joined seamlessly.
They improvised for a few minutes, letting the song rise and fall with ease. When the notes faded away, they were met with applause and congratulated on the performance.
"You two work together beautifully. We'll see ourselves out gentlemen!" The Elders left with haste and finally, finally they were alone in their house.
"Sev?"
"Yes, my Harry?"
"Now that they're gone, could you fuck me into the couch?" Severus smiled, wrapping his arms around Harry's shoulders.
"I suppose I might be convinced."